Arts and culture in Norfolk

Norfolk has a wide range of arts and cultural activity to suit all ages and interests. There are over 900 artists based here, countless musicians, and Norfolk has a huge array of festivals, exhibitions, theatres, shows and events to enjoy throughout the year. So why not take time out to experience the best that Norfolk has to offer?

events and venues

Norwich Castle

The focal point of Norfolk culture - a magnificent museum and art space

Norfolk & Norwich Festival

Oldest arts festival in the country takes places in Norwich and the county every May

Sainsbury Centre of Visual Art

Designed by Norman Foster, impressive permanent exhibition with visiting blockbusters

Out There in Great Yarmouth

Every September, the UK's biggest circus skills and street arts event with most performances free

Norwich Theatre Royal

One of the best provincial theatres in the country, hosting plays, concerts, opera, ballet and much more

King's Lynn

A wide range of events and shows throughout the year, including the King's Lynn Festival and Festival Too

Cromer Pier

Enjoy seasonal variety shows and concerts at the only end-of-pier theatre in the world

Festivals throughout the year

Including the Crab & Lobster Festival at Cromer and Sheringham on the north Norfolk coast

venues

Festivals: In almost any month, there are wonderful festivals going on somewhere in Norfolk, not least the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Britain's first arts festival which began in 1772. Influenced enormously by European immigrants, the N&N Festival has provided a well-trodden route for Norfolk to look to the Continent.

The coast boasts some fabulous family-fun festivals, including the Maritime Festival and Out There in Great Yarmouth, Crab & Lobster and carnivals in Cromer and Sheringham and the King's Lynn Festival and Festival Too in King's Lynn.

Exhibitions: From major public collections, such as Norwich Castle and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, experimental art at Norwich Arts Centre or charming market town galleries, there are always scores of high quality exhibitions in towns and villages across the county.

Theatre and shows: There are a wide range of theatres across Norfolk, some of the biggest in Hunstanton, Great Yarmouth and Norwich. There are many summer shows, particularly at Great Yarmouth and at the Cromer Pavilion Theatre, the world's last end-of-pier theatre.

Norfolk live: Thetford Forest hosts a successful series of live outdoor concerts in the summer; other events take place on beaches and the stately homes of Norfolk regularly host outdoor classical and firework extravaganzas. Norwich has a thriving music scene, from marquee names at the University of East Anglia and the Theatre Royal to bars and pubs.